Device for controlling the heddles of the harness of a loom

ABSTRACT

A loom having a device for driving the dobby which operates the heddles of the harness of the loom. The dobby is driven selectively either from the crankshaft of the loom during normal operation thereof or from an auxillary motor when the loom is stationary and the crankshaft is held stationary at a position corresponding to the wide-open state of the shed of the loom.

United States ate t t .Tultard [It] r 3,831,637

[ Aug. 27, 1974 DEVICE FOR CUQULING HEDDLES OF THE HARP OF A LOOM 3,732,895 5/1973 Keim 139/! E FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [75] Inventor: Yves .llullllard, Mulhouse, France d 3 489,644 41970 S 't l l 915 [73] Assignee: Soeiete Alisaeienne die Censtmctions W1 let an Meehaniques de Mullhnuse, Mulhouse, France Primary ExaminerHenry S. .Iaudon [22] Filed: Jan. W, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Holman & Stern [21] Appl. N0.: 322,498

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 10, 1972 France 72.00593 A 1 m having a device for driving the dobby which operates the heddles of the harness of the loom. The U-s- Cii- IE is driven Selectively either from the crankshaft [5 CI. 3C of the 100m during normal peration thereof or from new of SWITCH! 1 329 an auxillary motor when the loom is stationary and the crankshaft is held stationary at a position correspond- I Rtflfemmes Cited ing to the wide-open state of the shed of the loom.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,753,894 7/1956 Lovshin ct al 139/1 E 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures i 'l i n l s l PATENTED AUBZ 7 m4 SHEET 3 OF 3 DEVICE IFOIR CONTROLLING THE IIIEDIDILIES OF THE HARNESS OF A LOOM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to devices for driving the dobby or the heddles of a loom, in particular a loom with a weftinserting needle, and it provides a device of this type which enables simple and practical shifting of the shed, especially when there has been unweaving following for example, a break in a weft thread.

The invention is applicable, more especially, to looms having weftinserting needles whose crank-shaft, equipped with a fly wheel, is driven by an electrical brake motor under the control of a device for stopping the crankshaft at a predetermined angular position in which the shed is wide open, the heedle or dobby driving device, being driven, either from the crankshaft during normal operation of the loom, or from a auxiliary motor whilst the crank-shaft is held motionless by the brake motor in its predetermined angular position so that the shed can be shifted The combination of these arrangements permits activation of the heddle driving device alone in a rearward direction whilst the rest of the loom is stopped and the shed is wide open, which makes it possible, for example, to proceed with the removal of a defective weftthread, an operation which could not be performed merely by rotating a conventional needle loom in a backward direction, because the shed is closed at the end of the cycle.

According to an arrangement already used the input shaft of the dobby is driven through a dog-clutch, either on a toothed wheel permanently connected to the crank-shaft of the loom, or on another toothed wheel permanently linked to the output shaft of a speed reduction unit driven by the auxiliary motor. This arrangement also has drawbacks, however. In fact, due to the possibility a strong reaction on the part of the heddles when the dogs in the transmission from the loom crank-shaft disengaged and then engaged over into the transmission from the auxiliary motor, and as the input shaft ofthe dobby is completely free during the changeover movement from one position of the clutch to the other, faulty operation of the whole unit may result.

In addition, if, with a view to avoiding this drawback, an attempt is made to leave the auxiliary motor connected permanently to the dobby input shaft, the motor would have to be driven, under no load, conditions at a very high speed during the entire duration of the normal running of the loom, which is clearly unacceptable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aim of the invention is to provide a device for driving the heddles of a loom which does not have the abovementioned disadvantages in its arrangement.

To this end the device of the invention comprises a sleeve, loosely mounted on the crank-shaft; a clutch which is normally engaged to render the sleeve temporarily integral with the crank-shaft; manual control means for releasing the aforementioned clutch which is active only when the crank-shaft occupies its abovementioned predetermined angular position; a transmission system which permanently connects the aforemem tioned sleeve to the auxiliary motor and one part of which, at least, is supported by the wheel; and manual control means for supplying current to the auxiliary motor.

With such a device, in the event of breakage of a warp thread, for example, the crank-shaft stops after having effected at least one revolution under the control of a standard weft-break stop motion, and it is immobilised, by the brake-motor, in the predetermined angular position at which the shed is wide open. With the manual control means it is then sufficient to free the clutch which ensures the connection between the dobby and the crankshaft, then to rotate the auxiliary motor by the amount desired to find the correct shed. There can be no reaction between the heddles and the auxiliary control device since the link between the auxiliary motor and the control shaft for the dobby is never interrupted. When the loom is restarted the clutch automatically ensures the connection between the crank shaft and the dobby. Moreover, given that the transmission system which permanently links the sleeve to the auxiliary motor has one part, at least, carried by the fly wheel, the auxiliary motor is driven without load at an entirely moderate speed during the entire duration of the normal operation of the loom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood by reading the description which follows and by examining the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, an embodiment of a device of the invention for driving the heddles of a loom having weft-inserting needles.

In these drawings:

FIG. I shows diagrammatically in profile the whole of a loom with weft inserters equipped with a heddle driving device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a corresponding top view; and

FIG. 3 shows, to a larger scale, in perspective, the detail of the heddle driving device the loom shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 show a diagrammatic representation of the main elements of a loom with weft inserters, for example of the type described in Applicants French patent No. 3,159,186.

Thus in FIGS. 1 and 2 a frame 1 of the loom is shown, a lay 2 of which, pivots on a lower horizontal shaft 3, a reed 4 supported by the lay, and weft inserters formed by an inserting needle 6 and, a lead-in needle 7, the control system for the inserters being shown diagrammatically by two mechanical units II, I2 driven respectively by two cams I3, I4- carried on a crank-shaft 15 which rotates in the frame 1, two crank-arms I8, 19 linking the crank-shaft to the lay .2. Harness 21 comprises, by way of example, and for the sake of simplicity, only two heddles 22, 23, the harness being operated by a dobby 25 whose input shaft is shown at 26. The sheet of warp threads 31 passes over a roller and a thread-support 33, and the drawing shows also a beam 3% for warp threads and a braking device 35, as well as the fabric 37 and its roll-up system, designated in toto by 38.

An electrical motor 45, fitted with a pulley 46; drives through a belt transmission system d7, a large diameter pulley 43 forming a fly wheel which is secured to one end of the crank-shaft I5 (see also FIG. 3).

The input shaft 26 for the dobby 25 may be rotated either from the crank-shaft or from an auxiliary motor 51 by two different drives each comprising a common part formed from a toothed wheel 53, a chain or a notched belt 54 passing over the wheel 53, another toothed wheel 55 integral with a sleeve 56 freely mounted for rotation on the crank-shaft 15.

The sleeve 56 can be operatively connected, either to the crank-shaft 15 by a clutch of special construction, formed in the example mainly from an axially extending lug 61 which can engage a corresponding hole 62 in a toothed wheel 57 integral with the sleeve, or to an auxiliary motor 51 by a transmission system which comprises the toothed wheel 57, a satellite toothed pinion 65 engaging with the toothed wheel 57 and fixed against rotation at one end of a satellite-support shaft 66 mounted for rotation in the pulley-wheel 48 with its axis parallel to the axis of the crank-shaft 15, a wheel 67 fixed on the other end of the satellite-support shaft 66, a chain or a belt 68 engaged with wheel 67, a wheel 71 over which the chain or belt 68 also passes and fixed to one end of a bushing 72 freely mounted for rotation on the corresponding end of the crank-shaft 15, a wheel 73 integral with the bushing 72, a chain or a belt 74 passing over the wheel 73 as well as over another wheel 75 secured to the shaft 76 of the auxiliary motor 51.

The clutch lug 61 is mounted at the apex of a leaf spring 81 of a general V shape and fixed against the web 48A of the pulley-wheel 48 by the ends of its two legs. A helical spring 83, fitted over an elongation of the lug 61 and bearing against the web 48A of the wheel, assists leaf spring 81 to move the lug 61 axially in the direction of the arrowf, that is against the side face of the toothed wheel 57. 1

lt is possible to shift the leaf spring 81 in the direction opposite to that of the arrow fin order to move the lug 61 out of the hole or 62 by means of a manual control release system which comprises, a hand-lever 85 integral with a vertical bar 86 which can pivot on a support 87 fixed to the frame 1 of the loom. The bar 86 carries a two arm lever 88 on each end of which is mounted a roller 89 which, during a pivoting movement of the hand-lever 85, either in the direction of the arrow/2 or in the opposite direction, that is that of the arrow f3, causes a lever 92 to pivot, always in the direction of the arrow f4. One end of the lever 92 can pivot about the axis of a vertical bar 93 also carried by the support 87 whilst its other nd forms a nose 94 capable of pushing a nose 95 mounted at the apex of the leaf spring 81. The nose 95 has two chamfered edges 95A, 9513 to displace nose 94 if this were to advance at the wrong moment. The lever 92 is resiliently moved flexibly against the rollers 89 by a coil spring 97 which is attached to a lug 98 secured to a support 99 also integral with the frame 1 of the loom.

The auxiliary motor 51 is capable of rotation in both directions depending on whether or not its terminals 107, 121 or 107, 122 are energized and the manual control means for its power supply are combined with the hand-lever 85 for controlling the clutch 61, 62. To this end the illustration shows, in a simplified manner, a supply circuit which comprises, starting from one terminal 101 of a power source, a conductor 103, a switch 104 whose control finger 105 is operated by the nose 95 of the spring 81, an electrical conductor 106 terminating in a common terminal 107 for the auxiliary motor 51. Then, also shown starting from another terminal 111 of the same supply source, is a conductor 112 linked at the same time to the input of two switches 113, 114 whose respective control elements 115, 116 are operated by the hand-lever 95 when it is shifted in one or the other direction and whose output terminals are respectively linked to two conductors 117, 118 which terminate in two selective terminals 121, 122 of the auxiliary motor 51 in such a way that, depending on whether one or other of the two selective terminals 121 or 122 is under power, at the same time obviously as the common terminal 107, the rotor of the auxiliary motor rotates in one direction or the other.

Finally, the motor 45 for driving the crank-shaft of the loom is supplied also from a power source whose two input terminals 131, 132 are shown, through a control system designated in its entirety by 133 and subject to the action of a device for predetermined angular positioning of the crank-shaft so that it always stops in the position where the shed is wide open, the device comprising, in the example, an adjacent magnetic system which comprises, for example, a magnet 135 fixed to the wheel 48 and whose magnetic path passes close to a receiver 136 mounted on a fixed support 137 and linked to the control system 133.

The operation of the unit is as follows:

ln normal operation the dobby 25 is driven from the crank-shaft by the transmission 54 and the clutch 61, 62, the auxiliary motor being driven without load by the transmission described above which links it to the crank-shaft 15 which is at this time secured to the sleeve 56.

If, for any reason, for example a break in a weft thread occurs, the loom stops. This stoppage always occurs automatically in the position where the shed is wide open, due to the angular positioning system with the field magnet 135, 136, acting on the device 113 for controlling'the power supply to the brake-motor 45, so that the nose 95 of the clutch 61, 62 is, of necessity, located in register with the nose 94 of the lever 92. For shifting the shed, depending on the direction in which it is intended to ensure the shifting of the heddles of the harness 21, the hand-lever is pivoted in the direction of the arrowf2 or that ofj3, which ensures, initially, by means of the rollers 89, engagement of the nose 94 of the lever 92 against the nose of the clutch 61, 62, so that the lug 61 is moved in the direction opposite that of the arrow f and is released from the hole 62 in the wheel 57, thus releasing from the crank-shaft 15 the sleeve which belongs to the control transmission of the dobby 25. The nose 95 of the clutch then pushes the element for controlling the switch 104, which leads to the auxiliary motor 51 one pole of the current supply source of the motor, whilst the element or 116 of the corresponding switch 113 or 114, depending on the direction of operation of the hand-lever 85 effects transmission from the other pole of the current source to one or other of the two terminals 121 or 122 of the motor 51 for rotation of same in the appropriate direction. The motor 51 therefore turns as long as the handlever 85 is not in its neutral median rest position and it drives the control shaft 26 for the dobby by the following transmission elements: wheel 75, belt 74, wheel 73, sleeve 72, wheel 71 to belt 68, wheel 67, shaft 66, toothed pinion 65, toothed wheel 57, sleeve 56, wheel 55, belt 54, and wheel 53. The wheel 48 is stopped so that the satellite-support shaft 66 occupies a fixed position in space during this movement for shifting the shed.

After the heddles have been correctly placed, the hand-lever 85 is allowed to return to its neutral position, which cuts the supply to the auxiliary motor 5i and releases the clutch spring 81 so that the lug 611 is flexibly pressed against the corresponding face of the toothed wheel 57. When the loom is restarted by supplying power to the main motor 45 by means of control device 133, the lug 61 engages the hole 62; as soon as they come into register with one another and shaft 26 of the dobby is again located, driven by the crank-shaft 15. lt should be noted that, during this normal operation of the loom almost the whole of the transmission system linking the auxiliary motor 51 to the control shaft 26 of the dobby is composed of elements which are immobile in relation to the wheel 48, that is which turn in a single unit with it, so that the auxiliary motor 51 is driven, without load, at a very moderate speed which is in the same order as that of the crank-shaft of the loom.

It will also be noted that the shed shifting operation can be carried out only in the correct angular position of the crankshaft, which avoids crossing the warp threads at the moment when the needles are engaged within the shed, as might happen in an incorrect position.

All the transmission elements, including the clutch, which are supported by the fly wheel, contribute to increasing the moment of inertia of the wheel, which is a favourable feature, without in so doing increasing pointlessly the total weight of the machine, since such transmission elements are necessary for accomplishing the role they play.

Naturally the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated; it is possible to make modifications to it depending on the applications envisaged, without in so doing departing from the framework of the invention.

For example, it has been assumed that the auxiliary motor 51 is offset with respect to the crank-shaft and is operatively connected to a rotating bushing mounted free on the shaft through a belt, an arrangement which avoids transmission of vibrations.

It would also be possible however, for example, to place the auxiliary motor at the end of the crankshaft so that it is supported thereby; in this case the inside armature could advantageously be rigidly secured to the crankshaft, whilst the inductor would support the pulley 71 directly; the input of current to the motor would then take place by means of rings coaxial with the crank-shaft.

I claim:

1. A loom comprising:

a frame;

a crankshaft rotatably mounted on said frame;

a lay pivotally mounted to said frame and operatively connected to said crankshaft;

a flywheel secured on said crankshaft;

heddle means for forming a shed of warp threads;

heddle driving means for driving said heddly means;

needle means for inserting weft thread;

means mounting said needle means on said lay for re ciprocating movement therewith;

a main electrical brake-motor;

first transmission means for coupling said main motor to said flywheel;

stopping means for stopping said main motor when said crankshaft assumes a predetermined angular position at which the shed of the loom is wide open;

a sleeve freely mounted on said crankshaft;

normally engaged clutch means operatively disposed between said sleeve and said flywheel;

manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means; means for making said manually operable control means operative only when said crankshaft assumes said predetermined angular position;

second transmission means permanently linking said sleeve and said heddle driving means;

an auxiliary electric motor;

third transmission means permanently operatively linking said sleeve with said auxiliary motor, said third transmission means comprising a plurality of components at least one of wlhich is carried by said flywheel; and

further manually operable control means for controlling the supply to said auxiliary electric motor, whereby said heddle driving means may be driven either from said crankshaft during normal operation of the loom or from said auxiliary motor when the loom is stopped and the crankshaft is held stationary in said predetermined angular position.

2. A loom as defined in claim 1, wherein the components of said third transmission means comprise a toothed wheel secured to said sleeve, a satellite pinion for engagement with said toothed wheel, a satellite supporting shaft for carrying said satellite pinion and rotatably mounted in said flywheel parallel to said crankshaft and further transmission means connecting said satellite supporting shaft with said auxiliary motor.

3. A loom according to claim 2, wherein said auxiliary motor occupies a fixed position.

4. ,A loom according to claim 3, wherein said further transmission means includes a first pulley secured to said satellite supporting shaft, a belt flexibly mounted on said first pulley, a second pulley freely mounted on said crankshaft and also carrying said belt, and ancillary transmission means coupling said second pulley with said auxiliary motor.

5. A loom according to claim 1,. wherein said sleeve has a front face with an axial hole and said clutch means comprises a lug axially movable on said flywheel and resilient means for urging said lug against the front face of said sleeve and into said hole when in register therewith, said manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means being operative to pull said lug out of said hole against the action of said resilient means.

6. A loom according to claim 5, wherein said lug is carried by the apex of a V leaf spring secured to said flywheel by the ends of its two legs only, while-said manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means comprises a lever for axially shifting the apex of said leaf spring.

'7. A loom according to claim ll, wherein said manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means and said further manually operable control means for controlling the supply to said auxiliary electric motor are connected to a common manual control member.

8. A loom according to claim '7, wherein said auxiliary motor is supplied with current through a circuit which contains a switch means operatively responsive to the actuation of said manual control member.

=l=. l l =l [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent: No. 3831637 Dated August 27, 1974 Inventor-(s) Yv s Jfiillard It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

[75] Inventor:

YVES JUILLARD Signed and Sealed this 21st day of January 1975.,

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR.

c MARSHALL DANN Attesclng Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-IOSD (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 [L5, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 0-366-334. 

1. A loom comprising: a frame; a crankshaft rotatably mounted on said frame; a lay pivotally mounted to said frame and operatively connected to said crankshaft; a flywheel secured on said crankshaft; heddle means for forming a shed of warp threads; heddle driving means for driving said heddly means; needle means for inserting weft thread; means mounting said needle means on said lay for reciprocating movement therewith; a main electrical brake-motor; first transmission means for coupling said main motor to said flywheel; stopping means for stopping said main motor when said crankshaft assumes a predetermined angular position at which the shed of the loom is wide open; a sleeve freely mounted on said crankshaft; normally engaged clutch means operatively disposed between said sleeve and said flywheel; manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means; means for making said manually operable control means operative only when said crankshaft assumes said predetermined angular position; second transmission means permanently linking said sleeve and said heddle driving means; an auxiliary electric motor; third transmission means permanently operatively linking said sleeve with said auxiliary motor, said third transmission means comprising a plurality of components at least one of which is carried by said flywheel; and further manually operable control means for controlling the supply to said auxiliary electric motor, whereby said heddle driving means may be driven either from said crankshaft during normal operation of the loom or from said auxiliary motor when the loom is stopped and the crankshaft is held stationary in said predetermined angular position.
 2. A loom as defined in claim 1, wherein the components of said third transmission means comprise a toothed wheel secured to said sleeve, a satellite pinion for engagement with said toothed wheel, a satellite supporting shaft for carrying said satellite pinion and rotatably mounted in said flywheel parallel to said crankshaft and further transmission means connecting said satellite supporting shaft with said auxiliary motor.
 3. A loom according to claim 2, wherein said auxiliary motor occupies a fixed position.
 4. A loom according to claim 3, wherein said further transmission means includes a first pulley secured to said satellite supporting shaft, a belt flexibly mounted on said first pulley, a second pulley freely mounted on said crankshaft and also carrying said belt, and ancillary transmission means coupling said second pulley with said auxiliary motor.
 5. A loom according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve has a front face with an axial hole and said clutch means comprises a lug axially movable on said flywheel and resilient means for urging said lug against the front face of said sleeve and into said hole when in register therewith, said manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means being operative to pull said lug out of said hole against the action of said resilient meanS.
 6. A loom according to claim 5, wherein said lug is carried by the apex of a ''''V'''' leaf spring secured to said flywheel by the ends of its two legs only, while said manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means comprises a lever for axially shifting the apex of said leaf spring.
 7. A loom according to claim 1, wherein said manually operable control means for releasing said clutch means and said further manually operable control means for controlling the supply to said auxiliary electric motor are connected to a common manual control member.
 8. A loom according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary motor is supplied with current through a circuit which contains a switch means operatively responsive to the actuation of said manual control member. 